guest post

4 Tips for Getting the Most from Your Makeup

November 27th, 2010 by Karen 32 Comments

Written by Sam

Freelance makeup artist and blogger Sam shares four tips to get the most you can from your makeup in today’s guest post.

4 Tips for Getting the Most from Your Makeup

Lipstick — Have you ever noticed how your lips sometimes look blotchy halfway through the day? If you’re ending up with more pigment on some parts of your lips than others, apply your lipstick of choice with a brush. You’ll be able to achieve more precise placement and even distribution of color to minimize fading throughout the day. After applying with a brush, blot lightly with a tissue. Separate the tissue, and, using a large fluffy brush or a powder puff, tap some translucent setting powder over your lips through the single-ply tissue. This creates a near permanent stain as a base. Reapply the same lipstick (or a different one, for some creative effects), again using a brush, and blot again. Want even more staying power? Fill your entire lips in with a neutral lipliner or one that matches your lipstick before application.

Eyeshadow — In addition to using a primer, it really helps to layer. Place a cream shadow over your entire lid (either a neutral or the same shade as the powder you will be using), tapping powder shadow on top of this to set and prevent fading for all-day wear. Can’t be bothered with creams? Dust some setting powder over your bare lid before applying your shadow. Then, pat your shadow on, instead of sweeping it over your lid. That way you get a more concentrated application that should take a longer time to fade.

Blush — Try using two shades of powder blush: a “neutral” and a “pop”. Place the neutral shade (which can include pale pinks, apricots, or roses; choose one depending on what color your cheeks turn naturally when you flush, then step down an intensity level) all along the top of your cheekbone and blend well. Then, place your “pop” shade just on the top of the apple of your cheek and blend outwards and up. This concentrates the color where it would appear most when you would naturally blush, and when your blush begins to fade, you’re left with a more natural, rosy glow, as opposed to a pallid or blotchy cheek.

Powder — Ever wonder why most makeup artists use powder puffs? It’s not just for show. Puffs press the powder into the skin, bonding it to the foundation rather than just layering it on top. If you have a puff, shake some loose powder onto it, and “mush” it between your fingers, distributing the powder into the fibers of the puff. Then, place your index and middle fingers in the center of the back of the puff, and make a sort of “taco” shape. Roll this across your skin in small back and forth motions to really set the powder. Don’t have a puff? Take a large fluffy brush, pat some powder into the side of it, and place your fingers on the other side. Use the same motion to roll the powder onto your skin.

Written by Sam

Sam is a 17-year-old, oddly tall guy whose love of all things skincare, makeup, and fashion started when he entered the modeling world at 14. Since then, he’s established himself as a freelance makeup artist in the theatre and fashion worlds, and started his own blog to preach the wonders of orange eyeshadow, Asian skincare, and designer fragrances to the masses.

Perfume Storage: How to Store Your Fragrances to Keep Them at Their Fragrant Best

November 27th, 2010 by Karen 22 Comments

Written by OIga

Today Olga of MakeUpAcademia shares how to store your fragrances to keep them at their fragrant best.

How to store those lovely scents

When it comes to storing perfume, the most well known guidelines are 1) keeping it out of direct light, and 2) storing it someplace cool and dry. My (and Karen’s) first guess for the best place to store perfume was the fridge, but should we really be putting our pretty perfume bottles between the veggies and cheese? Are there better options?

While heat is definitely harmful to fragrances, large fluctuations in temperature can be even worse, so moving your perfumes in and out of the fridge isn’t necessarily better than storing them on your window.

Just like makeup, perfume cannot stand humidity, so the bathroom is out. Also, you want to avoid exposing them to air as much as possible; keep your fragrances closed at all times, and give preference to sprays over splashes. One problem with splashes, as well as rollerballs, is that oils and dirt can eventually spoil the scent, so try to minimize the applicator’s contact with bare skin.

I didn’t know this for the longest time, but it turns out that one should not shake fragrance, and not just to avoid breaking a fragile bottle. If you like to reapply perfume throughout the day, try to leave the bottle at home and take an atomizer along.
[Continue reading…]

What’s the Best Place to Match to Your Foundation?

November 26th, 2010 by Karen 68 Comments

Written by Sam

Freelance makeup artist and blogger Sam has a tip to help you find your foundation match in today’s guest post.

Ah, the age-old question: “Do I match my foundation to my neck, my jawline, my inner wrist, my…” Ok, stop right there.

There are many reasons why all of the above are less than ideal, so let’s go through some of them before we explore an even better way to match.

If you match to your…

Neck — Because of the shadow your face casts down upon your neck, it only makes sense that your neck is going to be one of the palest parts of your skin. It receives the least amount of sun, and contains much lower levels of pigment than many other parts of your skin. Match your foundation to your neck, and you run the risk of a washed-out, sickly looking face.

Jawline — Depending on your bone structure, your jawline may appear, which can cause unintentional highlights or shadows that are lighter or darker than the rest of your face. Although the difference may not be major, you might not be getting a true gauge of your actual skintone. If your face is ruddy or sallow and doesn’t have the same undertones as the rest of your body, you’re also looking at choosing the incorrect shade. For example, my face has a lot of red in it, but the rest of my skin doesn’t. I actually have yellow undertones, but if I matched to my jawline, I’d be apt to pick a foundation with pink or beige undertones.

Inner wrist — This one, I simply don’t get. Your inner wrist contains a lot of large veins (arteries? I was never good at biology…), and again, gets very little direct sun exposure. And since when is the inner wrist at all comparable to a face? This can lead you astray in the worst of ways; while the rest of my skin has yellowish undertones, if I were to match to my inner wrist, I’d definitely choose a foundation with more pinky undertones, which could lead me to look unnatural, ruddy, and older.

So, what’s the best place to match to your foundation?

[Continue reading…]

Black Friday Deals: Have You Tried These Makeup Brands Before?

November 26th, 2010 by Karen 20 Comments

Written by Audrey

Freelance makeup artist Audrey of Makeup by Audrey shares a bevy of Black Friday deals on up-and-coming makeup brands in today’s guest post.

Black Friday Deals: Try Some New Makeup Brands

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I had a great time enjoying a fabulous feast with my family. And now that my belly has been happily stuffed with turkey, cornbread, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, it’s time to focus on the next big event this holiday season — that’s right, Black Friday sales!!!

I’ve been scouring my emails, tweets, and status updates, and here are the deals I’m particularly excited about. As much as I love my MAC, Benefit, Urban Decay and Makeup For Ever, I love experimenting with the lesser known brands, and many of them are launching some really amazing sales this weekend.

Give them a look! I hope you might find a new favorite.

Z Palette

http://www.zpalette.com

I’ve had my eye on these guys for a while. As a makeup artist, I’m always looking for ways to downsize my kit, and palettes are a great way to do that. I’ve been using mostly MAC palettes, but I love that the Z Palettes actually have a see through window, which will make it so much easier to grab the one I need. And they also come in so many different fun colors and patterns (pink, zebra, leopard), although, to be honest, I’ll probably just stick with basic black.

-> The Deal: 20% off ONLY on Friday, 11/26 with code: THANKS1

Sugarpill

http://www.sugarpillshop.com

I have yet to try any of these products but have heard so much about this brand from the YouTube, Blogger, Twitter makeup world. The creator, Amy (aka Shrinkle), is a fashion designer, and she says she was inspired by the drag queen scene to create a line of bright, dramatic, and long lasting makeup. The line consists of vibrant pressed and loose eyeshadows.

-> The Deal: 30% off on Friday, 11/26, 20% off from Saturday, 11/27 to Monday, 11/29 with code: pinkweekend

Lime Crime

http://www.limecrimemakeup.com/

This is another brand known for fun colors and cute packaging! Lime Crime’s creator, Doe Deere, is a makeup artist and blogger that created this line simply because she couldn’t find colors bright enough for her liking – hence her tagline, “so bright, it’s illegal” 🙂 Lime Crime carries both loose eyeshadows and lipsticks in a fabulous array of colors!

-> The Deal: 40% off from Friday, 11/26 to Monday, 11/29 with code: BLACKFRIDAY40
[Continue reading…]

Three Fun Makeup Sets to Add to Your Christmas Wish List

November 25th, 2010 by Karen 28 Comments

Written by Audrey

Today freelance makeup artist Audrey of Makeup by Audrey has three ideas for fun makeup sets to add to your Christmas list.

Three Fun Makeup Sets to Add to Your Christmas Wish List

I have such a weakness for makeup sets. They usually suck me in with cute packaging and then seal the deal by offering a good price.

During a recent visit to Sephora (ahem, purely for educational purposes), I discovered a bunch of fun makeup sets that tickled my fancy. Did I need any of them? No. But did I want them? Of course! And guess what? It’s that perfect time of year for frivolous expenses!

To help you write your letter to Santa (or be a gift-giving Santa yourself!), here are my top three favorite makeup kits this holiday season:

Benefit Cosmetics Her Name was Glowla $36 Benefit delivers yet another cutely packaged set (although let’s face it, not very durable or travel friendly) designed to give you a glowing face. It’s quite comprehensive with a set of very pretty shimmery eyeshadows in neutral shades, the popular Coralista blush, mascara, and a coral lipgloss. It even boosts the “glow” factor with a set of High Beam and Moon Beam highlighters.

This kit is very novice-friendly as it includes a fold out instruction card that shows step by step where you would place each of the products, even describing which applicator should be used! Speaking of which, it should also be noted that this set includes a blush brush and a double ended eye shadow brush. In my experience, these are decent brushes that are definitely usable and not the “throwaway” kind you usually get in other sets.

Who Would Love This Gift: Pretty much any gal! The colors are universal and would make a great daytime look for anyone.

Smashbox Eye Wish Palette $45 My eyes were first drawn to the stunning gold packaging of this eye palette. After a closer look, I fell in love with the mix of shades and finishes. It comes with 12 eyeshadows, and you’ll probably never guess which one is my favorite. Ready? The matte bone shade! — otherwise known as the most boring color in the set. But it is also the shade that I use 99% of the time on my browbone. I’m all for experimenting, but it’s also nice when you can do a complete eye look with one palette and they almost never include that basic matte shade. It’s usually all shimmer city, and I’m not really one to bust out disco ball eyes.

The bottom four shades are cream eyeliners that can also be used as bases. One drawback is that this kind of packaging is not ideal for creams as they’re more likely to dry out. You’ll have to be careful with that. This kit really thought of everything and even includes mascara and the always-essential eyeshadow primer (I have the full-size version at home — works great, but might be a little drying).

The big bonus here? Similar to the Benefit kit, this one also comes with instructions. The difference here is that Smashbox provides a set of instructional eye charts for 10 different looks that are all nicely stored in a little slot under the mirror.
[Continue reading…]

A Look at Two Products from the Clinique Redness Solutions Line

November 25th, 2010 by Karen 13 Comments

Written by OIga

Could Clinique’s Redness Solutions line be the solution to mild rosacea? See what Olga has to say about it in today’s special Thanksgiving Day guest post. 🙂

The Clinique Redness Solutions Line

Having suffered from mild rosacea for a few years, I am always on the lookout for products to conceal the redness on my face without making it look like it has been dipped in pancake mix. This time that search led me to two makeup products from the Redness Solutions line by Clinique: the Targeted Corrector and the Instant Relief Mineral Powder.

Despite the way these two are advertized (helps skin “keep its cool” and reduces redness on contact) they do not reduce redness (at least, not on my skin); they merely conceal it. Good enough for me, so let’s get on with the review. 🙂

Redness Solutions Targeted Corrector

Clinique Targeted Redness Corrector

Before corrector (left) and after (right)

This is a yellow concealer pen with a thick, pasty consistency. It’s pretty dry, so I would avoid using it on the undereye area (luckily, this is the only part of my face that never gets red and bumpy like the rest!). The best part about this corrector is the great coverage it provides — I have tried it both with and without foundation, and the redness was covered up pretty much completely in both cases.
[Continue reading…]

Don’t Overlook the Earth Tone Sally Girl Eye Shadow Connecting Compacts

November 24th, 2010 by Karen 30 Comments

Written by Sam

Freelance makeup artist and blogger Sam finds a lot to like at his local Sally Beauty and shares with us in today’s guest post.

Shades from left to right: Auburn, Copper, Espresso, Brick, Champagne, and Mauve

With the nude face being one of Fall 2010’s hottest trends, it would be easy for you to just turn to your favorite shimmery champagne shadow, swipe a bit over your lid, and run out of the house. Skin glowing and cheeks instantly tinted red by the late-autumn chill, you’re the image of ultimate chic. But if you feel the look is too plain â€” too bare â€” and you’re tempted to reach for that black liquid liner and slap on a thick cat eye, why not turn to your earth tones instead?

On one of my monthly trips to Sally’s a while back, I had just finished my hair product shopping and was waiting for my father to pick me up. Having already examined the aisles twice (I’m always convinced I’ve missed some new, revolutionary product that’s been quietly tucked in between the Cholesterol Masques and the clarifying shampoo), the only display left was the makeup.

I’ll admit it. I’m a makeup snob. Seeing price tags of $5.99, $2.99, and, it pains me to say, $0.99, I was more than skeptical of these modestly packaged beauty items. I reluctantly bowed my head down towards the bare-bones rack.

I skimmed over the cheap looking glitters, eyeliners in simple glass pots, and miles of mini-palettes that I was sure contained less pigment than a freshly washed brush.

“Oh, those are greeeeeaaaat.” I snapped my head up in time with the bursting of the clerk’s gum bubble. She sucked the pink goop into her mouth between pastel lips and nodded. “Yeah, they’re like, comparable to MAC shadows. Really pretty. Great pigment. I looooove â€˜em.” She went back to examining her nails.

Comparable to MAC shadows? I thought she had to be exaggerating, but fortunately for me, there was one shadow available for testing.

And she was right.

The Sally Girl Shadows (the Earth Tones)
From left to right: Auburn, Copper, and Espresso

I bought 20. For less than a dollar each, I could afford to take the chance that the tester I had swatched was simply some mistake; a high-end department store brand shadow that had been cleverly or accidentally swapped into a Sally Girl compact to fool makeup enthusiasts like myself. How glad I am that this complicated confabulation was completely wrong.

I purchased a huge variety of shades, from blues and navies, to purples and magentas, to forest greens and day-glo limes. But being the season it is, the six earthtones I hauled have taken a semi-permanent spot in my kit (at least until purple becomes de rigeur again). Fortunately, these little marvels (1.1 grams, to be precise; for comparison, MAC shadows are 1.5 grams) come in connecting compacts, so you can organize them any way you want (I do it by color family so it’s easier to quickly find a shade on a job, but I know plenty of people who do it by “look”, like putting all the shadows they use for a smokey eye in one palette). My earthtones palette contains the shades Auburn, Copper, Espresso, Brick, Champagne, and Mauve. Honestly, I don’t know where half of these names come from. Don’t trust them. Go by the actual shadow. Each of them has a very fine shimmer, which turns metallic when applied wet.

The Sally Girl Shadows (the Earth Tones)
Left to right: Brick, Champagne, and Mauve

Auburn is a sort of orangey burnt-copper shade, perfect for this season’s orange eyeshadow look if you don’t want to be so in-your-face about it. This shade looks stunning with green eyes, and works well as an eyeliner if you want a no-fuss, simple-chic look for days when you have minimal time but need to look put-together.

Copper is actually more of a burnished, almost-antique gold (but with a bit more brown in it). The finish on this is absolutely gorgeous, and creates almost a slick sheen that’s nearly impossible to duplicate without the use of creams or gels.
[Continue reading…]

One ‘n Only Argan Oil Moisture Repair Shampoo and Conditioner

November 20th, 2010 by Karen 36 Comments

Written by Sam

Prolong the life of your color-treated hair with the subject of today’s guest post from Sam.

One 'n Only Argan Oil Moisture Repair Shampoo and Conditioner

Let me start off with a short description of my hair. It’s color-treated, relatively coarse, thick, and tends to take on the shape of a mushroom when it gets longer. Lovely, no?

I’m constantly on the hunt for shampoos and conditioners to fill a variety of needs: protecting my color, smoothing my strands, not adding any unnecessary volume or weight, and adding a bit of natural shine (not that gross shine that looks like a chef has been using your coiffure to season his wok). How demanding am I? No wonder I’m single…

So, with my pith helmet securely on my head and my trusty rifle tucked under my arm, I trooped off to Sally’s one day when my last round of hair products ran out. I had to take down the lioness-like saleswoman before I reached the hair aisle, but I finally found myself perusing the new arrivals, when I spotted a small display of One â€˜n Only products. I’ve used their Argan Oil Hair Treatment before (a near perfect dupe for MorrocanOil, at a fraction of the cost! Can anyone say hooray for non-branded packaging?), and having been pretty happy with the quality, I decided to take the dive and nab the matching shampoo ($9.49) and conditioner ($9.49). After having spent more time arguing with the cashier than shopping, repeating relentlessly that I did not want to sign up for a Sally Card because I already had one, I headed home to try out my mini-haul.

One 'n Only Argan Oil Moisture Repair Shampoo and Conditioner

By this time, it had been about a week since I had used a clarifying treatment on my hair (to remove the residue left from the relatively heavy Jonathan:Dirt cream-paste and Davines Relaxing Fluid), and a day since I’d washed it, so these seemed like perfect conditions to put this stuff to the test.

Stepping into the shower, I just let the water splay over my back for a minute or two. Don’t you just love that feeling of near-boiling hot water opening every pore on your body; little tendrils of steam wrapping themselves softly around your limbs, caressing your neck, providing a sensuous release from the stress outside the glass door? Don’t tell me you don’t, because I won’t believe you.
[Continue reading…]